Have you forgotten?
Continuing in 2 Peter chapter 1 ( http://tinyurl.com/5adcu7 )
Today's focus - verses 5-9: For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
This is a powerful statement: But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. It is powerful for it reflects the power of the Gospel itself. Note what it does not say.
It does not say that if your faith is not growing, or your perseverance, etc., that you are a bad person.
It does not say that if you are lacking in these attributes, that you are not working hard enough.
It does not say that if you are not maturing in your faith that you are weak.
It does say if you do not have these attributes then you have forgotten that you have been cleansed from (your) past sins. If we think we are who we were, before Christ, then is there any wonder that we do not grow?
Remember your salvation...and grow!
It does not say that if your faith is not growing, or your perseverance, etc., that you are a bad person.
It does not say that if you are lacking in these attributes, that you are not working hard enough.
It does not say that if you are not maturing in your faith that you are weak.
It does say if you do not have these attributes then you have forgotten that you have been cleansed from (your) past sins. If we think we are who we were, before Christ, then is there any wonder that we do not grow?
Remember your salvation...and grow!
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Questions:
1. What do you think of this perspective?
2. Can we really forget that we have been cleansed?
3. What does that do?
THOUGHTS ON CLEANSING AND BEING CLEAN
How we have prayed for a Revival,
we did not care whether it was old-fashioned or not,
what we asked for was that it should be such that would cleanse
and revive His children and set them on fire to win others.
Mary Booth
"I picked up a man from the street, and he was eaten up alive from worms.
Nobody could stand him, and he was smelling so badly.
I went to him to clean him, and he asked, 'Why do you do this?' I said, 'Because I love you.'"
"I picked up a man from the street, and he was eaten up alive from worms.
Nobody could stand him, and he was smelling so badly.
I went to him to clean him, and he asked, 'Why do you do this?' I said, 'Because I love you.'"
Mother Teresa
"When you come to knowing God, the initiative lies on His side.
If He does not show Himself, nothing you can do will enable you to find Him.
And, in fact, He shows much more of Himself to some people than to others, not because He has favourites,
but because it is impossible for Him to show Himself
but because it is impossible for Him to show Himself
to a man whose whole mind and character are in the wrong condition.
Just as sunlight, though it has no favourites,
Just as sunlight, though it has no favourites,
cannot be reflected in a dusty mirror as clearly as in a clean one."
C.S. Lewis
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